Prussia 1858-A 2 thaler Dav-777
This specimen was lot 4117 in Künker sale 353 (Osnabrück, Germany, September 2021), where it sold for €1,200 (about US$1,670 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"BRANDENBURG-PREUSSEN, PREUSSEN, KÖNIGREICH, Friedrich Wilhelm IV. 1840-1861. Doppelter Vereinstaler 1858, A. Prägung nach dem Wiener Münzvertrag von 1857. Vorzüglich. (Germany, kingdom of Prussia, Frederick William IV, 1840-61, double union thaler of 1858, struck per the Vienna Monetary Treaty of 1857. Extremely fine.)"
Unlike other north German states, Prussia almost never struck multiple thalers before 1839. This denomination was introduced in 1839 and struck to this module until 1871. Many states discovered that the vereinstaler (18.52 g, 0.900 fine silver) was too small for commemorative issues and so the double thaler resurged in popularity in the 1840's. Prussia did not drop the reichstaler (22.27 g, 0.750 fine) for thevereinstaler until 1857. This double thaler was struck 1858-59 and both dates are expensive.
Recorded mintage: 16,569.
Specification: 37.12 g, 0.900 fine silver, this specimen 37,03 g.
Catalog reference: KM 474, AKS 71; Dav-777; Kahnt 384; Thun 264; Olding 315.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- Davenport, John S., European Crowns and Talers, Since 1800, 2nd Ed., London: Spink & Son, 1964.
- [1]Künker, Fritz Rudolf, Horst-Rudiger Künker, Ulrich Künker and Andreas Kaiser, Künker Auktion 353: Die Sammlung Axel Tesmer, Teil 2: Prägungen der Könige von Preussen von der Kroning 1701 bis zum Ende der Monarchie. Osnabrück: Fritz Rudolf Künker GmbH & Co., AG, 2021.
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